We are only a few short weeks into this school year and whether you are living off of your dorms dining hall or your own “sort of but not really good” cooking in your apartment you are already sick of it all. I mean how many times can you eat grilled chicken with ketchup before it starts to taste like rubber? Especially when we are located in such a cuisine-rich city like Austin where even the randomest of places have the most mouth-watering food. The only true issue most of us face is the bottom of our wallets, its not very reasonable to be spending $10-15 on a meal or more a day when we have our student loan debts knocking on our doors reminding us of how little money we actually have. But why sacrifice treating yourself to a meal every once in a while when we have so many ways to save the bank when eating out surrounding us? Let me fill you in on some ways you can eat out without paying full price.
1. Hooked
Formally known as UMeTime, this app allows you to receive “Blastouts” that set deals for two to three hours at restaurants around West Campus. Saving you 10%-50% on food items you would otherwise pay regular price for. Some of my favorite Hooked offers are their BOGO deals, all you need to do is bring a friend along and your meals are half off!
2. Azul
Similar to Hooked but this app is like a live marketplace “where local restaurants compete for your business.” Restaurants bid for your business by lowering prices in real time, you tell them how much you want to spend and you could end up with a $15 giftcard to Mellow Mushroom for only $10!
3. Groupon
If you haven’t used Groupon for anything by now you must have been hiding under a rock. Groupon has grown so quickly with businesses in Austin this past year that it is the best place to buy a $40 giftcard to a nicer restaurant for $20. Where other apps stick to restaurants around West Campus, Groupon allows you to explore some of the other restaurants Austin offers and for a price you won’t feel guilty about. Split the price with your friend and you’ll enjoy every bite even more.
4. Campus Coupon Books
You know all those coupon books they pass out for the first week of school like crazy? You might think they are annoying but those little books are very valuable, so valuable you might want to pick up 10! Inside are deals you can use anytime before the expiration date but don’t have to wait for the deal to pop up. This is where most of their value is held because although the deals are very similar to those for the app, these ones are available at your disposal anytime of anyday!
You now probably feel the need to go eat out, and you should not feel guilty about that now that you know the deals available to you. So go on and eat out every once in a while, your budget now allows it!